


Dolls and Doors

by crab_noises



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Also! They're teenagers and not twelve, Coraline AU, It's so Lance can swear, Keith hunts for cryptids, M/M, The Red Lion is a cat, i recommend you read the sandwich fic too #shameless promotion, more tags to come
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-08 09:19:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11643564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crab_noises/pseuds/crab_noises
Summary: Lance McClain just moved into the Pink Palace. He's got weird neighbors, a busy family, and there's an odd little door in the parlor that's been bricked off...





	Dolls and Doors

**Author's Note:**

> hey I'm back from the dead! and this fic has chapters!
> 
> this Coraline au is based off some of parfaitperi's drawings, follow her at parfaitperi.tumblr.com!
> 
> (I have no consistent update schedule but it shouldn't be over a month's wait!)

One dreary, February day in Ashland, Oregon, a young man stepped out of the Pink Palace, an old house, faded in color and in desperate need to be renovated. He and his family had recently moved there all the way from Pontiac, Michigan, for some amazing job opportunity his parents had. As far as he was concerned, moving only meant he was forced away from his friends and dropped in some horrible, lonely new land.

The young man decided to explore around the Pink Palace while the rest of his family unpacked. Decked in a yellow raincoat and matching swampers, he set out on a quest to find the abandoned well. There was supposedly a well on the grounds that was so deep, it was rumoured to lead straight to hell. Glancing around, he spotted a fallen tree, still covered in leaves. An idea wormed its way into his head. He broke a Y-shaped branch off, stripped it of its leaves, and held the two shorter ends. He closed his eyes and relaxed, letting the branch guide him to his destination. He'd heard stories about magic dowsing rods that found water sources, so he figured one could help him find this well.  
By the will of the rod, he wandered all the way to a rocky path, downhill from the Pink Palace. The young man continued along the path, but stopped when he heard rocks tumbling down towards him. Someone must be following him. He glanced around, but saw nothing.

Suddenly, something meowed to the right of his head. He jumped, but the second he saw the culprit, he rolled his eyes at how frightened he was.

“You scared the shit out of me, you mangy thing!” He swore, and shot a hard glare at the cat, perched atop a tree stump. It let out a low growl in response, then licked one of its four white paws. “Hey, do you know where I could find an old well around here?”

To nobody’s surprised, the cat didn't answer. “Not talking, huh?” he muttered, and kept walking along the path. The rod led him all the way to a faerie ring, where he was once again stopped by the ginger tortoiseshell cat. The young man just stuck his tongue out at it and waved the dowsing rod around.

“Magic dowser…” he chanted, as thunder rolled in the sky, “Magic dowser… show me the well!!”

An airhorn blared from up the hill, and the young man shrieked.

A creepy figure revved up his motorized bike and shot downhill, straight towards him. Just as he thought the front sawblade-wheel would cut him in half, the rider swiped his dowsing rod and swerved. He skidded to a halt and inspected the branch in his gloved hands. He pulled the bandana covering his mouth down so it was easier for him to speak.

“Let me guess,” he began, attention glued to the dowsing rod, “you're from Texas, maybe Utah. Someplace dried out and barren, right?” He glanced at the other boy, who just stared at him. Lacking a response, he dismounted the bike and continued, “I've heard about water-witching before, but honestly, it makes no sense. This is just a branch.”

“It's called a dowsing rod, smartass!” The young man snatched said rod back and crossed his arms. “And I don't like being stalked by… by creepy nerds OR their cats!”

The creepy nerd just shrugged and bent down to scratch the cat behind the ears. “She's not my cat, she's actually feral. I do feed her every night, of course, and sometimes she brings me little dead things.” The cat purred happily in agreement.

“Ew,” he gagged, “Anyways, I'm from Michigan. And if I was some ‘water witch,’ then how come I can't find the well? Hm?” He smugly grinned, which was countered with an equally smug expression.

“You're standing on it.”

He leapt back, and the other boy leaned down to the faerie circle to wipe away the dirt and rocks inside. A wooden covering was revealed, and with the help of a fallen branch, he pried it off with swift ease. The young man stepped forward and looked down.

“It's supposed to be so deep, that if you fell in—”

“You'd fall straight to hell itself,” he finished, “Pretty cool.”

The creepy boy chuckled, shifting the conversation topic. “I'm surprised my uncle let your family move in. He doesn't usually rent to families with kids.”

“I'm not a kid, I'm sixteen! But, what do you mean?”

Oddly enough, he shut up. “It’s better if I don't say.” He extended a hand to the other and finally introduced himself. “I’m Keith, by the way. Keith Kogane.”

“Keef?”

“No, Keith. K-E-I-T-H.”

“Sure,” they shook hands, “The name’s Lance.”

“Lance what?”

“Lance McClain.”

“Huh. You know what they say, people with ordinary names, like Lance McLame, leads others to have ordinary expectations about them.”  
Lance fumed, but before he got to go off on Keith, they heard a man call someone from afar.

“That's my uncle. I should be going.” He re-mounted his bike and offered Lance a small smile. “It was great to meet a Michigan water witch.”

“Great to meet you too, Keef,” Lance teased, and Keith rolled his eyes.

“A word of advice, wear gloves next time,” he stated, turning his bike away.

“Wait, why gloves?”

“That ‘dowsing rod’ of yours?” Keith pulled his bandana back up and chuckled, “It's poison oak.”

“Ew! Disgusting!” Lance threw the stick away and desperately tried to wipe it off on his raincoat. Keith just laughed and rode away, which left Lance to comically stomp home as the rain began to fall.

**Author's Note:**

> Keith: why'd you let Lance's family move in?  
> Shiro, whispering: it's free real estate
> 
> (happy birthday, Lance!!)


End file.
